SAN ANTONIO — This Memorial Day weekend is set to be one of the hottest on record for San Antonio.
Officials with the city and Metropolitan Health District are gearing up for the high temperatures ahead.
"The big thing that we want to push with anybody, whether you're out in the rural counties, if you're in the inner city or wherever: work, rest, shade, hydrate," said George Perez, operations manager for public health emergency preparedness for Metro Health. "Hydrate should be No. 1, because you want to make sure you're doing enough hydration."
The types of hydration, Perez explains, also matters.
"When I'm talking fluids, I'm talking about water, something with electrolytes in it," he said. "Be careful with carbonated beverages and alcoholic beverages, because those tend to dehydrate us. Also, caffeine's another one that we have to be careful with, (as well as) carbonated beverages, carbonated caffeine products."
Not drinking enough can lead to heat-related illnesses.
"A lot of times it doesn't get reported correctly because it seems like it looks like something else. So you want to look for headaches," Perez said. "If you start already turning flush those kinds of things, you're feeling lightheaded. You're starting to profusely sweat, those kind of things."
Perez says it's especially important to check on the elderly and keep an eye on children as it gets warmer.
"A lot of times our unhoused individuals are very acclimated to the weather already, so they probably won't access their places to stay cool," he added. "But we also have to check on our elderly residents who are shut in. Check on your elderly, children, pets and your plants. "